The present invention relates to medical connectors used in fluid delivery applications, and more specifically to connectors that minimize fluid leakage during connection and disconnection.
Medical connections are widely used in fluid delivery systems such as those used in connection with intravenous fluid lines, blood access, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, enteral feeding, drug vial access, etc. Many prior art aseptic medical connections have been designed to puncture an elastomeric diaphragm or septum, which has one side in contact with the fluid, with a sharpened hollow hypodermic needle. The use of such hypodermic needles has been gradually decreasing as a result of both safety and cost considerations associated with infectious disease acquired from needle sticks. These connectors have been replaced with luer activated connectors which don't require hypodermic needles, but instead use an activator such as a luer on the end of a syringe or IV line to create a fluid path though a valve in a connector. The removal of the connector causes the valve to close when the line is disconnected. Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,235 to Ross et al.
Typical connectors and valves of this type, such as described by Ross, have many attributes that are not ideal in medical applications for delivery of fluids that could be harmful if contacted by the health care provider or the patient other than through the patient's intravenous (“IV”) connection. Oncology drugs such as chemotherapy are examples of fluids that while beneficial to the patient as part of a treatment regimen could be extremely harmful to the health care provider if the chemotherapy drug were to come into contact with the skin of the health care provider or patient.
Traditional medical connectors require the health care provider to exercise great care on connection or disconnection due to the likelihood of the drug remaining inside the connector or dripping, particularly on disconnection when the connectors are primed with fluid. Some female connectors are designed to push fluid in the throat of the connector to the surface during disconnection. While this is desirable for aseptic connectors to provide a swabbable surface, it can result in fluid drips from the device on disconnection. Other connectors use a membrane with a septum that can also allow fluids to escape the connector.
What is needed is a connector for medical fluids that has standardized connections for use with existing medical connectors and also minimizes or eliminates drips on connection or disconnection.
Embodiments of the concepts described herein describe a medical connector which is formed by a body having an inlet port, an outlet port through a male luer portion of the body, and a fluid path between the inlet port and the at least one outlet ports. A retractable post extends through the fluid path in the male luer sealing a tip of the male luer thereby closing the fluid path when the connector in not activated. Barbs extending along the exterior of the male luer and connected to the retractable post, wherein when the connector is activated, the barbs force the retractable post away from the tip of the male luer thereby opening the fluid path through the medical connector. A retention member applies force to the post to force the post to seal the tip of the male luer when the medical connector is not activated.
In another embodiment of the concepts described herein a method for activating a medical connector is described. The medical connector includes a body having an inlet port and an outlet port the outlet port being part of a male luer. The connector further includes a post extending through a flow channel in the male luer and one or more barb arms connected to the post and adjacent to an outer surface of the male luer. The method includes inserting the male luer of the medical connector into a female luer of a secondary device, engaging the barb arms of the medical connector with a surface of the female luer, and retracting the post from the outlet port of the medical connector in response to the engagement of the barb arm with the female luer, wherein the retraction of the post from the outlet port opens a fluid path through the medical connector.
In another embodiment a closed male luer medical connector is described which includes a body formed by a top and a base, the body having an internal cavity and flow channels formed in walls of the internal cavity, the body further having an inlet port and an outlet port, the outlet port including a male luer, wherein the male luer defines a flow channel along its length. The connector also includes a body having a top in the internal cavity of the body; a post extending from the top and having a portion that extends the length of the flow channel, a tip of the post sized to seal the male luer thereby closing the flow channel when the post is fully extended into the male luer, the post further comprising one or more barb arms extending through vent holes in the body and adjacent to an external surface of the male luer, and an elastic cup, the elastic cup having a seating ring held in a fixed position by the body and a cup extending into the internal cavity and receiving the top of the post. Pressure applied to the barb arms in a direction parallel to the male luer and away from the outlet port results in the top of the body being forced up into the internal cavity and the post being drawn out of the outlet port, thereby unsealing the male luer, opening the flow channel through the medical connector. The elastic cup applies tension to the post body, the tension forcing the post back into the sealed position when the force on the barb arms is removed.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages, will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.